Taylor Made

Friday

Feb 5, 2010 at 12:01 AMSep 9, 2014 at 4:34 PM

ETTRICK - Consider the hottest team in the CIAA officially cooled.Rhon'Neisha Taylor had a game-high 16 points and five rebounds as Virginia State rallied to defeat Bowie State 61-58 in an Eastern Division showdown Thursday night at Daniel Gymnasium.Th

ETTRICK - Consider the hottest team in the CIAA officially cooled.

Rhon'Neisha Taylor had a game-high 16 points and five rebounds as Virginia State rallied to defeat Bowie State 61-58 in an Eastern Division showdown Thursday night at Daniel Gymnasium.

The Lady Bulldogs held a 17-point lead in the second half before the Lady Trojans, ranked No. 8 in the latest NCAA Division II Atlantic Region poll, fought back.

Janelle McDowell and Tierney Rock hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Taylor converted a pair of free-throw attempts during the final 2 minutes to seal Virginia State's victory - and Bowie State's first loss in nine games.

"It's a big win - a great win for our program," Lady Trojans coach James Hill said. "It gives our team a big boost. ... All wins are statement wins. Once you get into February, everyone is tired. You have to pick up a win wherever you can, especially on your home court.

"(Taylor) has exceeded expectations without a doubt. She's a Division I player. ... She's very important. She's a leader."

Taylor, a 5-foot-8 guard, was 6-of-14 from the field to help Virginia State (14-4, 10-3) earn its fourth win in five games.

"This was such a big game for us," said Taylor, who joined the Lady Trojans after playing two seasons at Walters State (Tenn.) Community College. "All the players were talking about this one. We knew what we had to do. ... I always believe that we can come back. I never get down or hold my head down. We feel confident that we can fight back and win."

Morgan McGill gave Virginia State a defensive boost off the bench, finishing with nine points, seven rebounds, two blocks and three steals.

With McGill in the lineup, the Lady Trojans reeled off a late 15-5 run to give themselves new life.

"We wanted to play lockdown defense in the second half. We knew we had to do that," McGill said. "We are capable of playing great defense. Playing great defense in a game like this feels great. ... I like to come off the bench and get a few steals each game. I'm just out there trying to do as much as I possible can. I'm looking to grab some rebounds and a steal here and there."

The Lady Bulldogs limited Virginia State to 31 percent shooting over the first half in taking a 28-20 lead into intermssion.

Bowie State outrebounded the Lady Trojans 41-39.

None of it was enough.

Angela Brown had seven points and a team-high nine rebounds and Nia Thompson scored nine points for Virginia State, which travels to Elizabeth City State on Saturday.

Leslie Phillips added five rebounds and three assists for the Lady Trojans.

The Virginia State bench outscored the Lady Bulldogs 29-16.

- Neil Fuller can be reached at nfuller@progress-index.com

BOWIE STATE 28 30 - 58

VIRGINIA STATE 20 41 - 61

BOWIE STATE 70, VIRGINIA STATE 61 (MEN) - Duke Crews proved once again why he's considered the best big man in the CIAA.

Crews, a transfer from Tennessee, had 23 points and 10 rebounds as Bowie State defeated Virginia State 70-61 in a CIAA matchup on Thursday night.

Eric Vann hit four 3-points and finished with 16 points for the Bulldogs, who got back on track following a 73-68 upset at Saint Paul's - a game Crews missed.

Trey Mines hit three 3-pointers and led the Trojans (3-16 overall, 2-12 CIAA) with 13 points.

Virginia State shot 38 percent from the field and was 5-of-19 from behind the 3-point arc.

Brandon Plummer had 12 points and six rebounds and Clifton Springfield-Cobb added 12 points - on 6 of 11 shooting - for the Trojans.

Brandon Macklin had 11 points and a game-high seven rebounds for Virginia State.

Bowie State (12-7, 10-5) outrebounded the Trojans 40-32.

The Bowie State bench outscored Virginia State 30-4.

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